Head load balancer for bookbinders and other objects

ABSTRACT

A head load balancer especially for book binders to be worn on the top of the head and including a load support having head engaging means automatically conforming fairly rigidly to the shape of the top of the wearer&#39;&#39;s head without any mechanical internal mechanism adjustment. The head engaging means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced elements engageable with the top of the wearer&#39;&#39;s head at circumferentially spaced points pivotally moveable independently of each other and yet flexibly interconnected and having substantial relative movement to each other so as to automatically conform to the wearer&#39;&#39;s head.

United States Patent 1 Kallander 1 Apr. 2, 1974 I 4] HEAD LOAD BALANCER FOR 2,768,919 10/1956 Bjorkstcn 2/3 R BOOKBINPERS AND OTHER OBJECTS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: John E. Kallander, 1732 Stowe 15,817 10/1905 Great Britain 2/3 R Ave., Walnut Creek, Calif. 94596 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Filed 1973 Assistant ExaminerJerold M. Forsberg [21] Appl. No.: 321,574 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James R. Cypher 60] D' i g l l 1 5 5 2 5 ;2 1971 P N [57] ABSTRACT 3 23 -7 2 a 1' a ggi b 2:: 2: A head load balancer especially for book binders to be 9, 1970 abandoned worn on the top of the head and including a load support having head engaging means automatically con- 52 US. Cl 224/5 R forming fairly rigidly to the Shape of the p of the [51] Int. Cl. A45f 3/00 wearers head without y mechanical internal mecha- [58] Field of Search 224/5 R, 5 A, 25 R, 5 B, j n The head engaging means comprises 24 5 H 5 M, 5 Q, 5 2 12 8 3 a plurality of circumferentially spaced elements en- 181'4, 3 5 1816 181], 6 I gageable with the top of the wearers head at circum- I ferentiall s aced oints ivotally moveable indepen- Y P P P 5 References Cited dently of each other and yet flexibly interconnected UNITED STATES PATENTS and having substantial relative movement to each other so as to automatically conform to the wearers 3,215,323 11/1965 BonItt 224/42] E X head 3,229,872 1/1966 Williams 224/5 R I 2,759,186 8/1956 D e 2/3 R 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures f W 4 l8 i f 1 l6 *1 M l J7 PAIENIEBAHI 2 m4 SHEEIIUFZ FIG. 2

FIG. 3

PATENIEDAPR 2 m4 SHEET 2 0F 2 FIG FIG.5

FIG. 6

FIG.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application is a division of my co-pending U. S. Pat. application Ser. Number 155,425, filed June 22, 1971 now U. S. Pat. No. 3,722,764 which in turn was a continuation in part of my prior co-pending U. S. Pat. application Ser. No. 1704 filed Jan. 9, 1970 which is now abandoned.

The present invention relates in general to a head load balancer to be worn on the top of the head and including a support on which a relatively light load may be placed. Although not limited. thereto, the invention is particularly suitable for use by persons to support textbooks, notebooks, brief cases or the like. Such a head load balancer serves not only as a means for transporting articles of various kinds, but further serves to improve posture. Also, it may be used in games and the. like. 1 While people living in unmechanizedcultures have been balancing and carrying loads on their heads for centuries, those of us living in societies which have either beasts of burden or the wheel have traditionally avoided carrying loads of any kind on our heads except for head protection devices such as helmets or lights which miners carry. Such helmets and attachments to helmets require little or no effort in carrying the head protector and certainly no balancing skill. The few devices requiring the use of balancing skills are single purpose devices or are primarily childrens toys.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The gist of this invention is the discovery that a great many types of objects and loads could be easily balanced and carried on top of the head by an amazingly simple, light weight device which consists essentially of three or more relatively rigid elements which are connected to one another by various means.

An object of the present invention is to provide a head load balancer which can be moldedfrom a single piece of flexible material containing a plurality of rigid elements integrally carried thereby.

Another object is to provide a device having relatively rigid elements connected to one another by thin flexible members molded from an identical material.

Still another object is to provide a device consisting of relatively rigid elements connected to one another by a thin flexible line.

A further object is to provide a device having a plurality of rigid elements flexibly connected one to another and having a rigid platform connected to the means connecting the rigid elements.

Another object is to provide a device having a plurality of rigid elements which can be removably attached to a ring notebook.

A further object is to provide an improved head load balancer in which the rigid elements attach directly to the platform such as a ring notebook.

A further object is to provide a device which is interposed between the top of a person's head and a load to be carried which is easily and inexpensively manufactured in a variety of forms to meet certain functional and esthetic requirements.

Another object is to provide relatively rigid head engaging elements which have lower surfaces engageable with the top of the wearers head and which are interconnected by flexible sheet means permitting substantial independent movement of the head engaging elements relative to each other to permit the assembly of head engaging elements to conform to the wearer's head automatically and accurately.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the head load balancing art in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiments of the invention described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a head load balancer which embodies the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the head load balancer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by a line '3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is aside view of another form of the invention with a cross section taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of still another form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 77 of FIG. 6.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawing, illustrated therein is a head load balancer 10 of the invention which includes a load frame 12 having on the bottom thereof head engaging rigid elements 14 capable of automatically conforming to the shape of the top of the wearers head 16. In the particular construction illustrated, the load frame 12 comprises a cover panel of a binder or notebook 18, the other cover panel of which carries a strap 20 for securing textbooks 22, or the like. However, it will be understood that the binder or notebook 18 is illustrative only and that the load frame 12 may be constructed in many ways. For'example, it may be a simple platform, a part of a brief case, or the like.

The load frame 12 is provided with a central opening 24 which is spanned by a flexible sheet or sheet means 26, which may be of fabric, plastic, or the like. The flexible sheet 26 forms a part of the rigid elements 14, which also includes a plurality, shown as four, circumferentially spaced elements 28 having lower surfaces which bear against the top of the wearers head, through the flexible sheet 26, at circumferentially spaced points. The lower surfaces of the head engaging elements 28 are suitably secured to the flexible sheet 26. These elements also have rounded upper surfaces engageable by an overlying flexible sheet 32 which separates the elements 14 from the load carried by the frame 12, e.g., from the interior of the notebook 18 in the particular construction illustrated.

As will be apparent, since the rigid elements 28 are flexibly interconnected by the sheet 26, they are engageable with the top of the wearers head 16 relatively independently of each other and are relatively freely moveable with respect to each other so that the head engaging elements 14 automatically conform to the configuration of the top of the wearers head, without any necessity for any adjustment. Thus, the self adjusting head engaging means 14 provides a stable base for the load frame 12, and any load carried thereby, which is an important feature of the invention.

It is the fact that the elements are rigid and that there is a rigid connection between the load and the wearers head via the rigid elements 28 which permits him to feel any imbalance and thus maintain the load in balance.

Another variation of the basic device is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The rigid elements 80e are connected to a plastic U-shaped sheet 99 having one leg carrying the elements and the other leg being connected to a load. Specifically, the rigid elements are connected to petal-like members 101 which are interconnected at a portion 102. As a means of manufacture the petallike members can be punched or cut directly from the plastic sheet 99. The other leg 103 can be inserted into a ring notebook, formed with ring holes and connected to the rings 104 of the notebook' 106. It can be seen that the rigid members 80e are in direct contact with the head at their flat bases 107 and with the load at their, pointed (rounded) ends 108.

Still another form of the basic invention having some aesthetic design is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Here, the rigid elements 80f are disguised as daisies but are neverthelessidentical in structure and function to the previously described forms of the invention. Specifically, the daisies have a relatively wide base 111 an elongated portion 112 and a distal end 113 which corres'ponds to the stem 114. The stem is looped and connected by a fastener 116 to the rigid portion 117 of a notebook.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A head load balancing device comprising:

a. a plurality of relatively rigid elements substantially equally spaced about a circle and inclined from a point inwardly and upwardly to a point outwardly and downwardly having upper terminal ends in a common plane each having a relatively broad base for distributing the load and adapted for releasable engagement with the top portion ofa person s head and an elevated portion spaced from said base providing a relatively point-load contact with a load platform; and

b. means interconnecting said relatively rigid elements restraining separation of said elements;

0. a load platform supportedby said terminal ends of said rigid elements; and

(1. means connecting said relatively rigid elements to said platform.

2. A head load balancing device as described in claim 1 comprising:

'a. said means connecting said rigid elements is a flexible sheet material wherein the base of said means is the base of said rigid elements.

3. A head load balancing device as described in claim 2 comprising;

a. said load platform is a book having a rigid back and formed with an opening adapted for permitting a portion of a persons head to protrude therethrough;

b. said flexible sheet material interconnecting said rigid elements and said rigid elements are in registration with said opening.

4. A head load balancing device as described in claim 1 comprising;

a. the connection between said load platform and said rigid elements occurs between the platform and the means interconnecting the rigid elements.

5. A head load balancing device as described in claim 1 comprising:

a. said means interconnecting said relatively rigid elements consisting of arms pivotally connected one to another; and

b. a U-shaped sheet having one leg connected to said arms at said area of pivotal connection and a second leg releasably attached to said load platform.

flower. 

1. A head load balancing device comprising: a. a plurality of relatively rigid elements substantially equally spaced about a circle and inclined from a point inwardly and upwardly to a point outwardly and downwardly having upper terminal ends in a common plane each having a relatively broad base for distributing the load and adapted for releasable engagement with the top portion of a person''s head and an elevated portion spaced from said base providing a relatively point-load contact with a load platform; and b. means interconnecting said relatively rigid elements restraining separation of said elements; c. a load platform supported by said terminal ends of said rigid elements; and d. means connecting said relatively rigid elements to said platform.
 2. A head load balancing device as described in claim 1 comprising: a. said means connecting said rigid elements is a flexible sheet material wherein the base of said means is the base of said rigid elements.
 3. A head load balancing device as described in claim 2 comprising; a. said load platform is a book having a rigid back and formed with an opening adapted for permitting a portion of a person''s head to protrude therethrough; b. said flexible sheet material interconnecting said rigid elements and said rigid elements are in registration with said opening.
 4. A head load balancing device as described in claim 1 comprising; a. the connection between said load platform and said rigid elements occurs between the platform and the means interconnecting the rigid elements.
 5. A head load balancing device as described in claim 1 comprising: a. said means interconnecting said relatively rigid elements consisting of arms pivotally connected one to another; and b. a U-shaped sheet having one leg connected to said arms at said area of pivotal connection and a second leg releasably attached to said load platform.
 6. A head load balancing device as described in claim 1 comprising; a. said relatively rigid elements being individually and pivotally attached to said load platform.
 7. A head load balancing device as described in claim 6 comprising: a. said load platform consisting of one rigid sheet of The backing of a bookbinder.
 8. A head load balancing device as described in claim 7 comprising: a. said rigid elements being symbolically configured to represent an identifiable object.
 9. A head load balancing device as described in claim 8 comprising: a. said rigid element being configured to represent a flower. 